Just over a week after Queen Elizabeth II turned 96, her iconic image was one of the stand-out lots on sale at Bonhams Prints and Multiples in Knightsbridge on Wednesday, 27 April. Helping to kick off the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year celebrations in style, the lenticular print of Chris Levine’s Lightness of Being sold for £24,225, surpassing its estimate of £15,000-20,000.
The sale, which featured an array of British artists spanning almost a century of printmaking, made a total of £941,096 with 84% sold by lot and 99.8% by value.
The star of the sale was Banksy’s legendary Girl With Balloon, which was created in 2004 and first painted as a mural on the side of Waterloo Bridge and across the capital – though no location retains the original design. One of the infamous artist’s most famous images, it achieved an impressive £101,100.
It was one of 12 works by Banksy on sale, joining 16 works by Tracey Emin, eight works by Damien Hirst, as well as pieces by modern British artists William Scott and Henry Moore and contemporary favourites such as David Shrigley.
Carolin von Massenbach, director of prints, commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the results of the sale, and to have achieved such impressive prices for works by the avant-garde of British printmakers. Of course, Banksy once again stole the show, leading a fantastic and incredibly varied section.”
